Where does “instinctive” come from?
Instinctive comes from Latin instinctīvus, derived from instinctus (past participle of instinguere, meaning to impel or instigate), with the suffix -īvus, from the prefix in- and Proto-Italic en, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₁én.
instinctive (English): Related to or prompted by instinct; Driven by...
Definitions
- Related to or prompted by instinct; Driven by...
Ancestry of “instinctive”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | instinct | A natural or inherent impulse or behaviour; An... |
| 2 | Latin | īnstinctus | — |
| 3 | Latin | instinguo | to incite, to instigate |
| 4 | Latin | īn- | — |
| 5 | Latin | în | — |
| 6 | Latin | en | lookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | en | in |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁én | in |
Words derived from “instinctive”